Neha Raghuvanshihttps://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com
"Liberating The Soul Trapped In Women's Body"Mon, 25 Sep 2017 16:01:59 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngNeha Raghuvanshihttps://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com
Patriarchal Mental Flosshttps://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/misogynist-mental-floss/
https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/misogynist-mental-floss/#respondTue, 31 Mar 2015 07:52:25 +0000http://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/?p=948Continue reading →]]>Fighting misogyny is an ordeal,more because we have been psychologically conditioned and fed since our birth.It’s only when women decide to resurrect their identity as an individual they clear the misogynist mental floss that have accumulated because of years of indoctrination. Having a “vagina” has been quite a shameful thing for women and talking about it a taboo.

Has anyone by any chance glanced upon the etymology of this word “Vagina” ?. Is “Vagina” another term that uphold patriarchal standard? The word “Vagina” has a Latin origin and means a “Sheath” or “scabbard”(Google for cogent evidence). So when you utter this word you actually reduce a female’s genitals to a hole.It appears more like a word that focus on heterosexual male pleasure.It reduces the female genitals to an opening which is just meant for men to penetrate and get pleasure.We are so abundantly covered in both body and mind that at times patriarchy and misogyny seems insuperable.Anatomically also the word vagina is incorrect. It would be appropriate to replace the word “Vagina” with “VULVA” which means “theexternalgenitals of thefemale,includingthelabiaclitoris,andvestibule of thevagina”,while vagina only refers to the passage that leads to vulva,vulva includes the clitoris,labia and the vagina opening.

When I came to know about the “Vagina” etymology I recounted the number of times I have used it when asserting my opinion as a feminist.Since,the harm has been already done,nothing can be done about it,but yes, next time when you are off to use the word “Vagina” consider the word “Vulva”.

Filed under: Menstruation:A Stigma]]>https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/misogynist-mental-floss/feed/0neharaghuvanshiEuphemisation is nothing but euthanizationhttps://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/euphemisation-is-nothing-but-euthanization/
https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/euphemisation-is-nothing-but-euthanization/#respondMon, 17 Nov 2014 15:26:03 +0000http://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/?p=930Continue reading →]]>In India,we are accustomed to the habit of making grave things sounds petty, for it leaves room for procrastination and escapism .Methinks for a country and society which prefers euphemism over actual definitions of an act or problem, can never be comfortable with dealing them…..Why as a society are we so uncomfortable with actual definitions of problems ? And because we treat the words to be more offensive and anti culture ,in a course we tend to undervalue its impact.Personally i regard it as a defective method ,because concealing inappropriate ,disturbing and damaging activities under the cloak of convenient and less unpleasant words undermine appropriate attitude towards serious issues.

Euphemism have what i believe a kind of dehumanizing effect,they make you callous,they lend a kind of disguised insensitivity to a person.The debate that is often used in favor of using euphemism is that some words may sound offensive or inappropriate and may become a cause of embarrassment for certain people.I totally regard this as hoax,i feel the society tends to avoid certain certain issues and in order to lessen their gravity resort to euphemism.i mean it’s hard to believe that people get offended by the definition of certain issue and not the issue itself.It’s just not an act of dodging offensive or bad words but intentional dodging of vile issues.

Popular euphemism in our country :

Eve teasing:Public sexual harassment

I don’t think that the word eve teasing can even distantly cover what all happens to women on streets in our country.I have been hit on my breast, a pat on my back even when my father was walking besides me ,and shocked when i looked at the guy he just winked and pulled off.I don’t think the word teasing stands a chance to do justice with all such acts.I have heard more horrendous cases which the society would cover casually under eve teasing.We need to face the reality, by keeping things under the cloak won’t change the reality instead would make the situation more awful.

Filed under: women in India Tagged: euphemism, eve teasing]]>https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/euphemisation-is-nothing-but-euthanization/feed/0neharaghuvanshidownloadStop that child!!!!https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/stop-that-child/
https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/stop-that-child/#respondMon, 17 Nov 2014 06:46:43 +0000http://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/?p=928Continue reading →]]>Ohhhhh! Pause for a minute ,don’t allow that child or any child to enter the premises of your holy places,because if menstruating women are unholy ,the child is a reservoir of unholy and unclean stuff.In that way nobody should be allowed in ,because we all are unholy, and how can you build such places?I mean unholy hands can’t build holy places……

Why women menstruate ,yes religion has bizarre logic because women have to bear the brunt of Indra’s curse( rajaswala dosha)

In Hindu mythology it’s believed women got ‘Rajaswala Dosha’ (menstruation) when Lord Indra (the king of gods) severed the head of Vishwaroopacharya (the second teacher of the gods). Since Lord Indra killed a Brahmin he got ‘Brahmahatya dosha’. 3He got rid of it by distributing it amongst the prithvy (land), samudra(water),vriksha( tree )and stree (women folk) [10]. The women from that day on started menstruating every 28-30 days and got the ability to give ……..

Yes, as always we have to resort to self-mortification for the wrongdoings of men (whether from the mortal world or from surreal ones).The next debate stems from yogic philosophy….

In Indian yogic philosophy there are three gunas (or
qualities). These are tamas (black), rajas(red) and sattva
(white). Anything that is an excretion from the body i.e.
sweat, blood, tears etc. are toxic and are hence classified
under tamas. Tamas is darkness or obscurity. Hence for
traditional Hindus touching a menstruating woman is
considered a ‘Tamasic’ (inappropriate) act.

Menstruation is stigmatized in our society.I am not going to discuss about the sexist rituals that are to be followed when a girls menstruates, because most of us are pretty aware of that. Since, our first period we are given this indirect message that its a shame to menstruate.Take a look at the way the advertisements are pictured.Still they would use a blue color liquid to show absorptive capacity of the sanitary pads.Recently,Whisper came up with the slogan in their advertisement “She touched the pickle”,in order to do away with the belief that if a menstruating girl touches pickle it rots .There are many stigmas related to menstruation in our country, and I don’t know whether it’s the fear of ostracism or ill conceived god or religion that women in our country are helplessly following them.
We all have to understand this plain and simple fact that “a menstruating women is a healthy women” , and all stigma and taboo encircling menstruation are a result of patriarchy and misogyny.Think about it can any biological process be unclean ,and here we are talking about a process which is the reason for human evolution ? Could any god create something for his own child which would render her impure even for a minute?

The menstrual cycle is the cycle of natural changes that occurs in the uterus and ovary as an essential part of making sexual reproduction possible.Its timing is governed by endogenous (internal) biological cycles. The menstrual cycle is essential for the production of eggs, and for the preparation of the uterus for pregnancy.

(Wikipedia:Menstrual cycle)

At the onset of puberty both boys and girls experience physical and biological changes ,then how this change can make somebody unclean and the other more powerful?It presents a clear image of male glorification and female subjugation.If birth is necessary for evolution then how can menses be impure?Can a woman beget children without menstruating?

I am not going to state any religious verses,which try hard to justify this unholy practice of discrimination.We all have read plethora of articles about that and any addition will just be repetition.As a theist i believed in god and divinity ,as an atheist i believe in myself and humanity.A discriminating god and religion cannot build a sound community.We as women need to introspect our attitudes towards our bodies and ourselves. The extent of ignorance regarding menstruation has been documented in a recent study by sanitary napkin maker Whisper and market researcher IPSOS. The survey was conducted among more than 1,100 respondents from across India.And the result shows that the stranglehold of custom and superstition is not easing even in urban areas….

Reference:Quartz India

Still menstruation is a taboo in our society and the sad part it ,women rather than doing away with such notions are the carriers of it from generation to generation.The research by IPSOS also covered 200 men and almost all of them wanted the embarrassment and secrecy to end.The rule is simple if we want to stop others from practicing discrimination we have to stop discriminating against ourselves. Women need to respect and love their body, we have to break free from such notions.We need to embrace ourselves, to nurture our soul and body, their is nothing impure or unholy about periods,because we don’t have what we call Impure or Unholy bodies ,but just unholy minds…..

feminist. We declare audaciously that we are intense worshipers of female rights.I don’t question their conviction ,but i certainly doubt their knowledge about the same. When we say we are feminist and believe in equality,dignity and rights of women are we really doing justice to all female beings? Is feminism just a term to secure the rights of women or it should include the rights of every possible female being alive whether human or animal?What was the need of feminism ? Well, we all are aware ,because women were suppressed, they were subjected to atrocities,they were being denied the right to a dignified and respectable life.We just can’t attain freedom till the time we ourselves subjugate somebody knowingly or unknowingly. Unknown realm holds the bigger problems ,i would prefer to use unthought-of rather than unknown.We always misconstrue problems, or rather deal with the superficial ones ,blanking out the ones lying in the oceanic abyss.Rape is just the effect the cause of it being patriarchy, male chauvinism and misogyny.Similarly, ill treatment of any female specie holds the key to complete female subjugation.

A women milking a cow seems normal right? Take a pause look at the shackles, still it looks normal?I am just not enunciating as a vegan but also as a feminist when i say that the picture is disturbing.It’s a sad state indeed, in a nation of “holy cow” there is nothing “holy” about their treatment similar to the notion of a nation where women are worshiped in the form of goddess, which lactating mother has surplus milk to feed others? I don’t think anyone has ,then why we hold such notions about cows and buffaloes?Are we not adding to the agony of female when we adhere to such practices ?Millions of cows and buffaloes are subjected to periodic rapes in order to produce milk….Yes ,i used the word rape, imagine you being made to have sex forcibly in order to have a continuous production of milk ,sounds so horrible isni’t it .But the cows and buffaloes face the same ,till the time they are spent completely and then sent to the slaughter houses.houses. Shouldn’t this be a part of feminist agenda?

Now tell me, we all like dogs isn’t it? How many love the street ones? Maybe we all like them to the point that we allow them to survive and feed them but when it comes to choosing them as a family member we prefer pedigreed.The demand for certain breeds is very much ,because they serve as a status symbol ,and be it a street dog or pedigreed one all love their owners in the same manner and to the same degree ,the difference lies in our minds.As a result of this excessive demand the females are forced into repeated cycles of impregnation.The dogs trapped in puppy mills are nothing but sex slaves.They are forced to constantly mate for someone else’s profit .

Dog rape stand.

These are pretty apparent examples ,which we choose to ignore and opt for deliberate blindness as patriarchy does to our rights.So are the women, who talk about feminism while sipping their coffee or tea not gulping down the rights, dignity of other female beings?Think about it ,it’s a larger battle and we all need to think about it seriously.Till the time even one single female soul will be suffering, our battle will not be complete.

The worldly women is nothing but a manikin of patriarchal triggered misogyny

Filed under: Menstruation:A Stigma Tagged: Ipseity]]>https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/worldly-women/feed/0neharaghuvanshiThe Missing Draupadi’s Of Indiahttps://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/the-missing-draupadis-of-india/
https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/the-missing-draupadis-of-india/#respondThu, 31 Jul 2014 10:14:30 +0000http://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/the-missing-draupadis-of-india/Continue reading →]]> Ever wondered why Draupadi is not looked up as a role model ? Why Sita only befits the criteria of being a role model ? Why Indians are uncomfortable in considering Draupadi as a role model,especially the men in our country?Why Sita appeals more to them.

The answer is very simple because Sita don’t pose a threat to the misogynist society.Before you jump to conclude that i am demeaning Sita,pause for a moment.I have no intentions of doing so ,neither i consider Sita to be a bad role model,because that entire story was a part of a time when things were not this ugly .Even demons like Ravana didn’t outrage the modesty of Sita without her consent.But she can’t be an appropriate role model in today’s world, where most men are Duryodhan and Dushashan. Duryodhan is a classic example of male chauvanism and patriarchy, he didn’t even hesitate for a moment when it comes to disrobing Draupadi, but when his mother asks him to instruct his brother Dushashan to do the same with her,he is fraught with anger.This is the case with Indian men today,they hold their mothers and sisters on a high divine pedestal,but when to comes to rest of the female society,they don’t even shudder for a moment with guilt and shame.

The present is replete with instances where women have been robbed of their basic rights and dignity ,but unfortunately even in such situations people choose Sita to be the perfect role model. Draupadi has always made men uncomfortable because she is not passive,she is fiery.She is capable enough to question the vague values of the society.So how could a society which survives and thrives at the cost of female rights even consider such a women.She is often brushed aside as a women who had five husbands,which is the most inappropriate thing.Even Karna called her a prostitute on the same grounds.Isn’t it a reflection of the double standards of the ethical code governing the society.A king at that time was allowed to marry as many women as he wanted,even virgin maids were given as gift to friends but never ever a King or man was given such titles,only women were subject to such titles.

Today women stand on the edge of such situations which are highly detrimental to their identity and well being ,and if they don’t answer the call they will be dumped into dark dungeons of misogyny for time unknown.It’s time to find the missing Draupadi’s of India.

For many these messages would mean respect for women,indubitably they do, but respect only for women who fit in the patriarchal roles defined.It gives an eerie feeling and at the same time disgusts me when i see women sharing these kind of pictures on social networking sites.I mean are women worthy of respect only if they fit into such roles assigned to them by patriarchy?It means a woman would command respect only if she is a mother,daughter,sister or wife to someone,are patriarchal roles the only reason one could think about when it comes to respecting women.If yes,then my fear is thoroughly justified.I mean are men respected because of patriarchal tags ?Well no,men are respected because they are considered to be strong individuals.So why it’s different for women?
A woman should not be harassed because:

a)She is somebody’s someone or,

b)She is an individual who possess the right to respectful and dignified life,

Which of the two option sounds better?Of course , option(b) for in that a woman is considered an individual and possess a personal identity which gives her the right to dignified living.Option(a) would be a choice for those who fail to identify women as individual beings worthy of respect and rights.Gender equality is a term not very much entertained by me because at times it reeks of patriarchal notions.It means pushing forward women in a society woven with patriarchal fabric,and that concept is flawed for it would never let women exploit their real potential as an individual,she would work and define herself within the confines of patriarchal space.

I am also very much concerned about the women who are definitely a creation of this patriarchal set-up but denied a so called respectable title.Yes,i am very much talking about women who are created in order to satiate the lust of patriarchal potents but never acknowledged as a part of the set-up. What about the sex workers?Just because they don’t possess such role tags, are the men entitled to beat,molest or rape them?To big a issue to be dealt with right?But we have to as they are also a creation and part of our patriarchal setup. Even if i choose to ignore this aspect which is least ignorable then also is it okay to believe that if women have such roles to play they will be respected?No,a mother,wife ,sister or daughter is majorly ill treated and denied basic rights by her own family forget about the men outside.So my point is that if women prefer patriarchal roles above individuality and personal identity they cannot command true respect.

Filed under: Insights]]>https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/respect-women-without-patriarchal-roles/feed/0neharaghuvanshiFasting to keep patriarchy and injustice alive.https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/fasting-to-keep-patriarchy-and-injustice-alive/
https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/fasting-to-keep-patriarchy-and-injustice-alive/#respondMon, 21 Oct 2013 16:20:46 +0000http://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/?p=836Continue reading →]]>Finally, the day has arrived…tomorrow scores of women from every walk of life will celebrate patriarchy.The traditional will defend it out of ignorance but the modern female brigade will shock you with bizarre logic…Tomorrow is the day when majority of women who campaign for women rights will bow down to patriarchy .Once again the patriarchal gods will be at peace to witness the submission,for it will testify that no matter how far a woman goes in her life,she will never be out of the web of patriarchal beliefs. Karva chauth will once again be celebrated zealously,tomorrow scores of women will be painted with colours of patriarchy and identifying the fettered from the so called liberated class would be impossible.For they all will exhibit only submission,obedience and helplessness.

Once again gender rights will be cremated by women themselves,only to fight a useless battle after that,it’s just like planting a sapling every morning only to uproot it in the evening and foolishly wait for it to grow..Modern female brigade is even worse than those who are illiterate,suppressed and dependent .Their futility of thought and action is unfathomable.They call their subservience and feebleness love.Often when i ask women as to why they follow such lame traditions the reasons put forth are so maddening that one can’t believe that they are educated or sane people(i would prefer not to call them individuals)…….some reasons put forth are:

I am very possessive for my husband,

I do it out of love and affection,

If i oblige what they say it makes my life easy,after all it’s just a bloody fast,what’s the big issue……

Yes darlings it’s no big issue then why to make suppression and subjugation a big issue then?The way the society conceives an individual or a particular community is directly influenced by how they act or portray themselves.You do it out of love and affection but what if it becomes asphyxiating for others?A large number of girls accept such traditions out of societal pressure,but i am not even justifying those for if you call yourself independent you should have the courage to stand for your beliefs no one can thrust it down your throat.

It’s all a matter of beliefs..are your beliefs capable enough to make you stand out as an individual or are they just framed for acceptance….I am a little baffled because women who demand equality and justice follow such traditions just for mere acceptance and a hassle free life and if in case some women believe in the power of karva chauth “hats off to them” i pray for your sanity .

Filed under: Insights, Religion And Women]]>https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/fasting-to-keep-patriarchy-and-injustice-alive/feed/0neharaghuvanshiThe Death Prone Husbands Of Indiahttps://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/the-death-prone-husbands-of-india/
https://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/2013/07/27/the-death-prone-husbands-of-india/#commentsSat, 27 Jul 2013 07:11:20 +0000http://neharaghuvanshi.wordpress.com/?p=805Continue reading →]]>Now since i am married i am exposed to more hazards of being a woman.Post marriage a woman is expected to adorn herself with myriad of ornaments for the well being of her husband or to enhance her reproductive capacity.I know many people would quote references that it has more to do with the health of a women,but i would like to enquire how many such rationalities are dished out when a woman is asked to put on these adorns?And if it were in any case colligated to the health of a woman ,then why she is supposed to remove them when her husband dies?

The modern educated female brigade has abjured such customs if not wholly at least partially .We have a option to say no or rebel against such beliefs but still a large number of women adorn themselves with the post marriage ornaments not for any other reason but just the well being of their husbands.And occasionally even we have to decorate ourselves to avoid the caustic remarks of relatives.I am perplexed and really have serious doubts about the same that are Indian men so frail or death prone? Or the wife in herself is such an presaging ill fortune that such specifies are predetermined before she enters the life of the concerned male?Is it so that her presence is so ominous that it will expose the man’s life to so many perils?Because before marriage no such thing was practised by his mother or sister.On top of it women do fast also for the long lives of their husbands .

Ah! so much effort is expected of women to keep their husbands alive and kicking.But men they do absolutely nothing at all.I think i would sound a bit eccentric but i would like to go and rationalise the practice with my latter conclusion that there is something wrong with the women’s presence or ogres always stalk them and gobbles down their husbands if the concerned woman detaches herself from such customs.

Struggling to unravel the enigma:Widows who adhere to all such practices throughout but still meets such a fate….Are the ogres to brawny to be exorcised or expelled through such practices of adjuration and prayers?